Going to Church in DC

Alright, I’m on my vacation/business trip with Jenn and we are able to stay downtown at the beautiful Mandarin Oriental.  The place was fancy, a giant step above our normal Hampton Inn option and in government per diem, and centrally located close to the Mall.  So we headed off to explore, first at the National Botanical Gardens and then at the Capital Building before going off to find a place to relax and then dinner. 

The place to relax was the Iron Horse Taproom (http://ironhorsedc.com/), a bar with a Rastafarian at the door and reggae throughout the bar.  The tap selection was solid, and there were seats at the window to people watch on 7^th Avenue (they were all jealous that we were drinking cold beer and they were still sweating).  I tried a few local beers, and then we were ready for dinner.  The first was Chocolate City’s Cornerstone Copper Ale, a relatively non-descript brew that was at least a good thirst quencher.  The next two were better, Port City’s Monumental IPA and DC Brau’s The Public Ale.  Nice beers, but we were getting hungry so we went next door (yes, literally next door) to the District Chophouse (http://www.chophouse.com/), a steakhouse that brews its own beer.  Jenn got the chicken piccata, and I went with the salt encrusted prime rib.  Both meals were good, mine coming with a whiskey sauce and cheddar cheese mashed potatoes.  I’ve had their normal beer lineup, but the seasonal was a saison so I was happy.  To wrap up the evening we thought we would drop in on the President for one of those fancy White House microbrews, but unfortunately, he was not at home.  Oh well, it was a nice evening.

The next day I had my meeting at the Navy Yard, and Jenn ran out with her sister and niece to checkout Georgetown and the Pentagon Mall.  We had planned to meet for dinner, so I started to hike in the general direction.  Walking in a big city is one of my favorite things to do, so I headed up 9^th Avenue and stopped by Gordon Biersch for a drink.  Their seasonal was also a saison (it is French for season by the way), and it hit the spot.  I then headed up the avenue to find the Old Dominion Brewhouse, but wasn’t impressed.  Jenn had gotten to my primary destination, and let me know that I was running late.  So after a 2.5 mile leisurely walk (or jog as the case may be), I made it to the Church Key.

The Church Key (http://www.churchkeydc.com/) also came highly recommended by Draft magazine, as well as the government workers that I do business with.  When they visit upstate NY, they always have to stop by my desk and tell me what great beer that they had on draft (tormentors!).  I met Jenn and her sister, and my niece and nephew, and we got down to business.  They also do 40z pours, so I was looking forward to sampling a few beers, while tasting some others that my family ordered.  They had 4 casks that were new to me, so that made the beginning of the evening easy.  The Epic Hop Syndrome Lager and Hopulent IPA were both good, as was New River Pale Ale (located close to Hokie country).  We ordered some appetizers to share (stay away from the miniscule salads) and I got the Brat Burger (awesome, or was just starving?).  The best beers of the night were; (1) Washington OC, a Quad made with pureed plums at 10% ABV that was a collaboration between Blue Jacket and the Bruery, (2) Baltimore brewer Union Craft Old Pro Gose (perfect for the end of summer), and (3) Mad Fox Oak Aged Wee Heavy, a scotch ale from the local brewpub that won several awards at last year’s GABF.  It was a fun evening (even had some coworkers show up later), and I was thankful that my nephew gave us a ride back to the hotel.   

The next day we finished work in the morning and Jenn and I went to Dogfish Head Alehouse (http://www.dogfishalehouse.com/) in Falls Church for lunch.  We were ready to relax for the afternoon, but one last bite to eat seemed appropriate.  The waitress was friendly (actually, she was a bit over the top with the beer book), and the Ta Henket was a nice choice to accompany my Border Burger.  It was a nice trip, but with my work complete I was ready for a slow afternoon to relax.  Besides, the following day we had planned to be back on the road again. – 6100/12716

 
“What event is more awfully important to an English colony than the erection of its first brewhouse?” – Reverend Sydney Smith